Press-connecting terminal

Abstract

A press-connecting terminal ( 1 ) includes a press-connecting portion ( 4 ) having press-connecting blades ( 9 ). The press-connecting blade ( 9 ) has a pair of opposed inner surfaces ( 9 c ) extending downwardly respectively from a pair of bladed, tapering guide surfaces ( 9 a ) which are slanting downwardly toward the axis of the electric wire ( 7 ), and a gap (G), formed between the pair of inner surfaces ( 9 c ), is smaller than the diameter (d) of a conductor ( 7 b ) of the electric wire ( 7 ). On the basis of at least one of the width (W) of each of the downwardly-extending inner surfaces ( 9 c ), the size of the gap (G), and the number (n) of the press-connecting blades ( 9 ), the total area (S T ) of contact of the downwardly-extending inner surfaces ( 9 c ) with the conductor ( 7 b ) is set to a value greater than or equal to the cross-sectional area (πd 2 /4 ) of the conductor ( 7 b ). Therefore, an electrical resistance, developing between the conductor ( 7 b ) and each inner surface ( 9 c ), can be reduced. Accordingly, the deterioration, improper contact and so on of those members around the press-connecting portion due to heat, produced by the electrical resistance between the conductor ( 7 b ) and each press-connecting blade ( 9 ), can be positively prevented.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A press-connecting terminal, comprising: 
       a base;  
       a connection portion, to which a connection terminal of a mating connector is electrically connectable, disposed on the base; and  
       a press-connecting portion, to which a conductor of an electric wire is electrically connectable, disposed on the base, the press-connecting portion including plural pairs of press-connecting blades, each pair of which have:  
       a pair of bladed, tapering guide surfaces which slant inwardly downwardly, and  
       a pair of opposed inner surfaces, between which a gap smaller than a diameter of the conductor of the electric wire is formed, and which downwardly extend respectively from the pair of tapering guide surfaces;  
       wherein when an electric wire is press-fitted into the gap, the conductor of the electric wire is electrically connected to and held by the plural pairs of press-connecting blades, and  
       wherein an effective total contact area of the opposed inner surfaces of the press-connecting blades with the conductor is set to a value equal to or greater than a cross-sectional area of the conductor.  
     
     
       2. The press-connecting terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the effective total contact area is such a total of areas that the conductor of the electric wire contacts with the opposed inner surfaces of the press-connecting blades. 
     
     
       3. The press-connecting terminal of  claim 1 , wherein the effective total contact area is set to a predetermined value based on at least one of a width of each of the opposed inner surfaces, a size of the gap, and the number of the opposed inner surfaces, with respect to the conductor of the electric wire. 
     
     
       4. The press-connecting terminal of  claim 1 , wherein a width of each of the opposed inner surfaces of the press-connecting blades, a size of the gap, and a number of the press-connecting blades comprising the plural pairs of press-contacting blades are determined based on the cross-sectional area of the conductor of the electric wire. 
     
     
       5. The press-connecting terminal of  claim 4 , wherein the effective total contact area is such a total of areas that the conductor of the electric wire contacts with the opposed inner surfaces of the press-connecting blades.